Purdue University
Design of a Door Alarm
How does electricity work? Budding scientists explore the concepts of electrical currents and open and closed circuits with class discussion and a hands-on activity using a battery to turn on a light bulb. Learners also make predictions...
Chemistry Teacher
Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids Lab
What an exciting way to introduce your blossoming chemists to the world of metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and polymers! Here is a lab activity that is designed to allow pupils the opportunity to visualize the reaction of metals,...
Rice University
College Physics for AP® Courses
Take a look at an organized physics course. The 34-section electronic textbook covers material in AP® Physics 1 and 2. Teachers use the text to supplement lectures and have the class work through the labs. Each section contains...
Curated OER
Energy Transfer
Students investigate the properties of heated air. They make predictions about what they think makes the wind blow on a worksheet, and conduct two experiments to demonstrate the properties of heated air. Students heat a bottle until a...
Curated OER
Warm Me Up!
Third graders explore and identify heat sources. They conduct an experiment involving thermometers and articles of clothing, and record and discuss the results.
Curated OER
Atmospheric Processes - Radiation
Students investigate how different surfaces absorb heat, and how the physical characteristics of a surface have a powerful effect on the way a surface absorbs and releases heat from the sun.
Curated OER
Polystyrene Containers
Students conduct experiments to determine the effectiveness of polystyrene containers at preventing heat loss. In this polymers lesson, students design an experiment to determine how effective Styrofoam burger containers are at...
Curated OER
Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...
Curated OER
Convection Activities
Students conduct a series of hands-on activities to demonstrate that heated air expands and that warm air rises because it is less dense.
Curated OER
Earth Energy Budget Pre Lab
Learners explore energy by conducting an in class experiment. In this climate change instructional activity, students conduct a water vapor experiment in a soda bottle. Learners utilize graphs and charts to analyze the results of the...
Curated OER
Periodic Table of the Elements: Transition Metals
Students conduct an exothermic reaction to investigate the properties of a transition metal. In this periodic table lesson plan, students identify the transition elements and discuss their properties after watching a video. They conduct...
Curated OER
Physical Science: Magnetism and Electricity
Students use a variety of objects to test for ability to "stick" to a magnet. They perform an experiment to see that electricity in circuits can produce light, heat, sound, and magnetic effects. They discover magnets attract and repel...
Curated OER
Animal Skin
Students investigate the skin surface to body area ratios for different animals. In this seventh/eighth grade mathematics/science lesson, students explore heat transfer between an animal’s body and the environment. Using...
Curated OER
Thermal Expansion
Students examine how thermal expansion of water can affect sea level. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates what happens to water levels when exposed to heat, record the results on a data sheet, and discuss the results.
Curated OER
Science: Let's Have a Cool Lunch
First graders develop problem-solving skills by designing methods for keeping lunch boxes cool. Once they determine the amount of sunlight and heat generated in shaded and unshaded areas, they explore ways to provide shade. Finally, 1st...
Curated OER
Lights Light Up My Life
Students conduct an investigation. In this energy conservation lesson, students observe and make predictions about fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs. Working in groups, students conduct an investigation to compare the two light...
Curated OER
Popcorn Science: Pop Goes the Kernel!
Students conduct various experiments to determine why popcorn pops. They design tests to determine the effect of water in the kernels on its popping. Once the experiments are completed, they write summaries of them proving or...
Curated OER
How Hot Is Hot In Namib?
Students research and demonstrate the temperatures of the Namibian Desert. They watch and discuss a video, conduct an experiment to demonstrate the desert temperatures, record their results in the form of a graph, and compare/contrast...
Curated OER
Light Stick Chemistry
In this descriptive investigation worksheet, 6th graders conduct an investigation to determine if heat energy affects the brightness of a light stick. The students will form a prediction, collect data and answer 3 conclusion questions.
Curated OER
Gases, Liquids and Solids, evaporate, shape volume,
Students conduct an online experiment to discover what happens to solids, liquids and gases in different temperatures. For this states of matter lesson, students get into pairs and work in a virtual laboratory to...
Curated OER
Chemical Bonding
Students classify compounds as ionic or covalent. For this chemical bonding lesson plan, students experiment with 6 chemical compounds. They test physical properties such as the melting point, the solubility and the electrical...
Curated OER
The Scientific Method Using Mystery Powders
Students use the scientific method to determine physical and chemical properties of unknown substances. In this scientific method lesson plan, students discuss chemical and physical properties of substances as a class after a...
Curated OER
How Much Salt is in the Gsl Water?
Fourth graders study the water cycle and the different processes that are involved, like precipitation, evaporation, etc. They conduct an experiment observing the water cycle in action and write a hypothesis, observations and...
Curated OER
Testing for Chemicals in Soils
Young scholars use sight, touch and chemical test kits to evaluate and classify soil types. They determine the organic content, soil pH, conduct visual analysis and nutrient tests of a variety of soil samples from various sources.